A thug from High Wycombe has been jailed for more than five years after he stabbed the son of a former town mayor and his friend in the middle of a busy shopping centre in broad daylight.

Aiden George, 22, was shopping with his girlfriend at the Eden Shopping Centre on June 23 this year when he had an altercation with a group of Asian youths, a court heard. He got into an elevator in the centre, but ran out at the last minute, brandishing a large knife.

Prosecuting barrister Nigel Ogborne described the moment, saying: "They walked past a group of Asian males. CCTV shows that words were exchanged between Mr George and the group.

"Mr George and his girlfriend can be seen getting into the car park lift. However Mr George is seen to exit the lift before it goes up.

"Mr George then walks back into the main shopping area. The Asian males were at this point outside House of Fraser with their backs to the defendant.

"He is seen running across to the group. He stabbed one in the back, who fell to the floor. Then he moved to his right and stabbed a second who was pulled away by a member of the group."

The victims were Akeel Ahmed, the son of Cllr Khalil Ahmed, former mayor of High Wycombe, and his pal Nasir Kangeer.

He told Judge Catherine Tulk, sitting at Aylesbury Crown Court, that witness Karen Townsend, who was out shopping with her two small children, saw George run up to the group with a "lime green knife."

The defence barrister, Cameron Scott, said: "Two days after the incident, Mr George presented himself at the police station. He felt that what he did was wrong.

"He felt he was in some way acting in self-defence. Your Honour will have seen from the CCTV that what happened here was Mr George was on his own with his girlfriend shopping. He was confronted by a group of youths. There was clearly an altercation.

"He walked away initially and he was followed by this group. He ushered his girlfriend to safety effectively by taking her into the lift.

"The other context is the context of Mr George's mental health and learning difficulties. He has symptoms of PTSD and tendencies to interpret threats as a result."

The 22-year-old, from Spearing Road, had a history of offences dating back to 2009, including an incident when he was jailed for 14 months after punching a policeman unconscious and knocking out several of his teeth.

The young man had been riding a friend's bike without a licence.

Before sentencing, Judge Tulk said: "It has been very helpful for me to watch the CCTV because it shows very plainly what went on that day.

"It is obvious that as you and your partner walked past them, something happened. But as you walk away you can be very clearly seen turning back to look at them and gesticulating with your hands at them.

"Your girlfriend is at this point walking ahead and you are lagging further and further behind keeping stopping to look, keeping turning around.

"But not to see if someone is coming at you, you are gesticulating at them in an aggressive manner.

"You get into the lift. By now the group are quite far behind you. You did not know that they were following you, which I know because I can see the CCTV. That is the point at which you could have gone to your car and you could have driven away.

"But you made two very bad decisions. The first was to return to look at the group. The second was to arm yourself with a knife.

"Your intention was very plain. You come charging out of the lift at top speed."

The judge sentenced George to five years and six months in prison, with an extended licence of two years for wounding Akeel Ahmed and Nasir Kangeer with intent and possession of a bladed article in public.